Texas Law Requires High School Students To Watch Video On Safe Interaction With Police Officers

Dec 04, 2019 by apost team

In response to a disturbing trend of police officers shooting civilians, the Community Safety Education Act was passed in Texas in 2017. This requires all students from the class of 2022 through all subsequent classes to watch a 16-minute instructional video describing how to interact with police officers during a traffic stop and complete a related class.

However, some are concerned that this is putting more blame on the victims than is appropriate, saying that the onus should not be on them. But more communication is always a good thing so that both sides can feel safer during these interactions. Additionally, police officers need to receive civilian interaction training, so it is a two-way street.

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement created the Civilian Interaction Training Program video and divided it into four main sections. The video describes the role of law enforcement in these situations, what rights citizens have at these times, what behavior should be followed by those in the vehicle and how a complaint may be filed.

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It shows examples of what drivers and passengers should not do as well as what they should do in certain situations. It's also helpful to describe some of the steps that may take place during these interactions. One is the signing of a citation. Those featured in this video explain that this citation is not an admission of guilt and is simply confirming that it's been received and that you will follow up on it with the court.

It's good to learn these things during a calm situation like a classroom so that it's already clear what it means during a traffic stop.

Instructors in these classes have also been provided with answers to commonly asked questions as well as possible ways to respond to concerns that may be raised by the students who are watching the video.

For example, a student might ask for clarification on videotaping these interactions. The guide addresses this by saying that it is legal and allowed but that unknown items could create safety concerns for officers.

Have you been stopped by a police officer for a traffic stop? How did that interaction go? Do you believe that you or the police officer who stopped you could have been helped by more education prior to the interaction? Tell us below. Pass this article on to your friends and family to see what they think.